Sturgeon Festival Sept. 15 in Vancouver

Mr. Sturgy who has been swimming around in the Columbia River since the prehistoric times will be part of a special celebration on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the 16th Annual Sturgeon Festival.

The free, one-day festival is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way in Vancouver. The festival is hosted by the City of Vancouver, with participation by state Fish and Wildlife.

The popular event includes entertaining and educational activities for all ages. Special events include Creature Feature Reptile Zoo.

In addition, teens and adults will have an opportunity to learn about recycling, watershed stewardship, and sturgeon anatomy. They will also have a chance to discuss environmental issues and career opportunities with staff from natural resource agencies and environmental organizations.

The sturgeon is a primitive fish that dates back to the Jurassic period. They are long-lived growing 5 to 6 feet in length at maturity. A few sturgeon in the Columbia River have been confirmed to be more than 100 years old and up to 12 to 15 feet in length.

About the author

A Seattle native, Mark Yuasa is a lifelong angler who grew up near the banks of Lake Washington and has been covering fishing and outdoors for more than 21 years for The Seattle Times. Read his regular fishing report every Thursday and the outdoor notebook every Sunday.